Opinion Article: ‘Freaking Out?’ ‘Always, Everytime’: The Wrecks’ Next Chapter
Fans have waited over two years for a sign of life from The Wrecks’ studio. The finish line of their Los Angeles Half-Marathon shows, over a year ago, was the last opportunity for fans to enjoy their cherished setlist.
The Wrecks have amounted to their roughly 500k monthly listeners (Spotify) with two albums, two EPs, and a few singles of indie/pop-rock anthems. Nick Anderson, "Schmizz" Schmidt, Aaron Kelley, and Billy Nally released their first single, “Favorite Liar,” in 2016, and have since toured with dozens of bands before headlining their own tour in 2017. Their 2023 Half Marathon tour was the latest testament to their strong LA fanbase.
After months of manifesting from fans, The Wrecks’ dormant Instagram feed has been revived by multiple videos detailing the shaky process of assembling a tracklist for their anxious listeners.
Nick Anderson, lead singer of The Wrecks, kicked off the series of posts with a short documentation of his process. He was apparently writing, composing, and recording new music, without even a mention or appearance from his bandmates. Prior to this video, fans had little to work with. A few stories here and there were the only clues hinting at a new album. Now, turning their heads in the direction of some possible band tension, the post prompted questions about just how much of The Wrecks’ music Anderson carries on his own.
A few days after the initial video, Nick Schmidt, guitar player for The Wrecks, posted a response to Anderson. “Apparently Nick’s the guitar -player for The Wrecks now… Good for you, man,” he remarked. Fans in the comments started to get worried about the major tone-shift in their content.
Most recently, the band posted a video together revealing that it was all orchestrated by Anderson in an effort to get fans back on their toes. It was all a ploy to announce their new music. Fans could relax and recommence the waiting game with this new sense of anticipation.
Now all is well in the comment section and fans seem to have moved on from Anderson’s initial cry for help - his minute-long Reel documentary about shaky sanity in the music-making process. With previous posts from Anderson about the long days and nights in the studio, this video really didn’t come as a surprise to viewers. The Wrecks’ fans have simply become indifferent to the struggle of their beloved artists and paid little attention to the bigger themes Anderson alluded to.
Anderson gave fans insight that really doesn’t serve much purpose beyond prompting a few “we hope you’re doing well” comments followed by “so when’s the album coming out?”. If anything, his depiction of the music making process might discourage a few people from even thinking of pursuing a career in the industry. This leaves the question of why The Wrecks, and hundreds of other smaller artists across the world, put themselves through the rigor of fighting to find a space in the music world.
Having been to more than one Wrecks’ show, you could easily spot more than a few familiar faces coming back to see their favorite band in their typical small, rustic, LED-lit venue. At this modest level of popularity, one might not expect the pressure to weigh on The Wrecks as much as Anderson let on. Yet, the dedicated fans and steady listens ignite that deep panic that seeps into the studio and inspires the lead singer to produce songs with fear, chaos, and “destructive behavior”, as Anderson said in his video.
The demand of fans is a consistent stressor for most, if not all, artists. Adding social media presence and close fan interactions to the mix can’t be helpful to smaller artists who put their artistry before their mental stability. The Wrecks’ lyricism is often reminiscent of the battle within; the cancerous negativity in the lyrics of “This Life I Have”, a bad trip in “Freaking Out”, and the incorrigible relationship in their hit song, “Fvck Somebody”, have all been part of the inspiration for their music.
Particularly in “This Life I Have”, Anderson is extremely critical of the tendencies he sees in himself. The list of things our teller hates at the beginning of the song is spun into an ambivalent relationship with pain, medication, hopelessness, and fans that sing along at his shows. It is likely that the same distaste and passion for the excitement of performing is just part of The Wrecks’ writing process and gives their songs their disturbed touch.
“Sometimes that same paralyzing fear and anxiety pushes you to try things that you normally wouldn't ...and the chaos, it manifests into something more interesting than what you would have found if you were comfortable,” said Anderson in his Instagram post.
As fans, it is difficult to place the two-way influence between artists and ourselves. Those same lyrics about living with incomprehensible distress that we sing and dance to could very well be inspired by our band’s burden of artistry. Likewise, the universal pressure to succeed in any field has pushed many off the edge, even far enough to give up all together.
Moving forward, fans are hooked and ready to see what comes next from this playful series. Shortly after their final episode, The Wrecks shocked fans with the announcement of their 2nd Annual Wrecks Super Half-Marathon and their new song “Always, Everytime;” a full-circle ending to this wild ride. Fans of this imaginative band, now prepared for what’s to come, are right back to their loyalty and support of the boys in this next chapter.
Photo credit: Shervin Lainez